Patrick Premiere: Small Illusions

"Patrick Hunt! Patrick, over here, how do you feel about the verdict?"

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have places to be."

I get in the limo that's waiting for me at the bottom of the steps, and the driver whisks me off back to my house. As I open the front gate, I think about why I had to be at the courthouse in the first place. A few months back, a paparazzi followed me home. I asked him nicely to leave, but he wouldn't take no for an answer, shoved me aside, and tried to force his way into the gate that was in front of my house. I pushed him back, and he fell, breaking his camera in the process. He then promptly sued me for assault. Today was the hearing, and although I had to pay to get him a new camera, I considered it a win since I wasn't thrown in jail, and that asshole would get arrested if he ever came on my property again.

Being the child of an Oscar-winning actor and an international supermodel is not the easiest thing in the world. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about my parents, including the fame that involuntarily attached itself to me, but the paparazzi can get annoying. They follow me everywhere, even when I go do boring stuff like shop for groceries or books. I don't care that I see myself in tabloid magazines, but trying to come into my home is just uncalled for, and I wanted to defend my privacy. I've gotten quite used to the camera flashes, and I wear sunglasses often when I go out so I don't get blinded by them.

They're not just following me because I'm the child of famous parents, however, they're also following me because I have been making a mark on the entertainment world myself, choosing to explore the world of magic. Not the fantasy Harry Potter kind, but the illusion and misdirection kind. The magic set I got on my thirteenth birthday was the best present I've ever received. I've evolved my tricks a lot since then. I still do some basic ones for tips when I'm not doing a show, of course.

When my aunt died, I didn't have a normal reaction to her death. I'd never really been close to her, so although I was saddened that she was no longer among the living, the way she died sparked my curiosity. I was sixteen and that was when I became really curious as to how the mind works. She killed herself and I was shocked, not because I didn't think she was capable of doing something like that, but more because I wondered why she didn't have hope in her life and why she felt like committing suicide was even an option. I think it might have had something to do with me being kidnapped when I was four. I spent a few days in a cold basement being scared of a mean lady who kept telling me she was my new mommy. I was afraid, but I knew in my heart my parents would find me. I'd endured one of the worst things a child could go through and yet I still had hope. I did a lot of research into the subject and found my way down the path of magic during it. The reason why magic is so intriguing is because of what the mind chooses to hope for, see, and believe.

My dream is to play the big shows, in Las Vegas and New York. I want to wow people with my illusions, but I have a long way to go before I get there. I'm sort of hanging in the middle right now, not just starting out, but not quite to the level of where I want to be yet. I work in movies and modeling to make money to pay the bills, since my mom and dad have connections that I'd be stupid not to utilize. About six months after I turned eighteen, I moved into my own house, down by the beach, whereas my mom and dad live closer to the downtown area.

For now, my magic consists of me at the local bar doing small illusions. They pay me weekly to be the entertainment, unless I have a movie or modeling job that conflicts. The good part about this town is that there are always people scouting for talent, so the more I put myself out there, the more chances I have to run into one of those people. At break time, I get myself a drink when a man in a dark coat comes up to me, leaning in close to my ear as he talks.

"If you want to work on more advanced illusions, meet me at the table in the back of the bar when you're finished."

Once I am done with my shift, I make my way over to the mysterious man because his words peaked my interest. I thought I'd at least talk to him and find out if he was one of those get rich quick schemers or if he could actually help me out with my magic career. The chair legs make an unpleasant sound, scraping over the floor as I pull the chair out from its place and sit down on the uncomfortable seat. I can't wait until I don't have to perform at this bar every night anymore.

"So you're interested. That's good."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Emmanuel. I am a stage engineer, well, was, the magician I was working with is no longer employing me. I have been out of work while looking for another magician who will partner with me, and you look promising."

"Thank you. If I may ask, why did you quit working with that other magician?"

"Irreconcilable differences. He and I started in the business together, him being a superb showman, and I working behind the scenes. Over time, he let the fame get to his head, becoming quite arrogant and egotistical. Confidence is good, but arrogance is not. Stage engineers help with illusions and make sure they work well to wow the audience, but he was always trying to put me down and make me feel like he didn't want my knowledge or help."

The more I talked to Emmanuel, the more I was convinced he knew what he was talking about. Emmanuel said he knew how to make equipment as he was a skilled carpenter and mechanic. He clued me into how the magic business works when you get to be one of the more famous ones. Never telling anyone about how your illusions work is crucial because there are some magicians who feed off of others, stealing illusions and taking credit for them, potentially ruining careers. The only ones who should know about the secrets are people in the magician's hire, which means stage engineers and assistants. It didn't surprise me that there was so much mystery surrounding this business.

I was still on guard because one thing I knew about magic was people were hard to trust, but I agreed to work with Emmanuel. Since he had been burned before by his other job, I thought maybe he would be loyal as long as I treated him well.

"So, besides you making and maintaining equipment for me, what else can you offer me?"

"I think that you should figure out a good stage name for yourself. Something that goes along with your style. Also what kind of magic are you interested in? There's tricks that are lighter and more family friendly, but I don't get that vibe from you. You seem more like an escape artist and death defying type of person."

"What about The Hunter?"

"That's really good. It's mysterious and dark."

Emmanuel seemed to have good insight as far as reading me because he was exactly right about my style. We continued talking about  how we would start our collaboration, exchanged phone numbers, and then parted ways. I arrived home hopeful and excited about the new opportunity that Emmanuel had presented to me.